Norfolk State to Meet ODU in 1st Round of NCAA Division I Football Championship

Norfolk State to Meet ODU in 1st Round of NCAA Division I Football Championship

Norfolk State University will visit cross-town foe Old Dominion in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Division I Football Championship next Saturday, Nov. 26, as announced Sunday by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

The game will kick off at 1:30 p.m. at ODU's Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com.

Both schools will be making their first-ever appearances in the Division I FCS playoffs. No. 19 NSU (9-2, 7-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) won its first-ever MEAC football championship this season to capture the league's automatic berth in the playoffs. The 10th-ranked Monarchs (9-2, 6-2 Colonial Athletic Association) finished in a three-way tie for second place in the CAA and earned an at-large bid into the 20-team field.

The game will also mark the first-ever between the two Norfolk-based schools that are located less than five miles from each other. The teams are slated to begin a six-year home-and-home series at NSU in 2013.

"Obviously we are excited about this matchup,” NSU football coach Pete Adrian said. "Our players are very familiar with each other and I know the city of Norfolk will be abuzz about the game. It should be a great game for both schools and the city to embrace.”

The winner of the NSU-ODU game will face Georgia Southern in the second round of playoffs on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Eagles, winners of the Southern Conference title, are the No. 3 national seed and were one of 12 teams to receive first-round byes.

NSU will begin selling its allotment of tickets for the game beginning at noon on Monday, Nov. 21. Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. All tickets are $20 and can be purchased in person at the NSU Ticket Center or by calling (757) 823-9009.

The NSU Ticket Center will accept cash, check, money order or credit card payments. All tickets purchased by phone must be picked up by noon on Friday, Nov. 25. The NSU Ticket Center will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday. The ticket center will be closed Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.